


Discovery.

by NoodlesDoodles1



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Mentioned Alexis | Quackity, Mentioned GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Time Travelling Karl Jacobs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:42:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29400711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoodlesDoodles1/pseuds/NoodlesDoodles1
Summary: The door creaked open.Sapnap heard the scrape of a sword against its sheath as it was drawn.“What are you doing?”
Relationships: Karl Jacobs & Sapnap
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hihi!! I wrote this up a couple of days ago and I really like the plan I have for this story,,, might write some more?? Perhaps??  
> Really loving Karl's character and excited for what's going to come with him n the smp!!  
> Ty if you read this, please drink some water and have something to eat if you have not already :))

Sapnap knew it was time to move on.

Visiting his old friend in prison was an act of clarity, closing up the many chapters of their friendship that had come before. Though his emotions were conflicted visiting his silent friend, he was glad that he now had the pen to write his own story. That he no longer had to rely on Dream to write out everything and paint himself as the hero whenever things went wrong for Sapnap. He could look after himself.

This was a clean page. A fresh start.

He now had Karl and George, and the nation they had built together. They had spent days cementing the foundations of their home, constructing grandiose buildings and a simple little library. That library.

He did not know why, but Sapnap found himself attracted to that place. It was as if something was connecting him to it, luring him in and drawing him closer like it was a siren. He had spent days standing by the door, hand on the doorknob as he contemplated entering and uncovering the secrets, despite the constant warnings Karl had provided them.

It was with much guilt that he found himself sitting in the library, gazing in wonder at the coloured books neatly lined up on the bookshelves as he rifled through the selection, sliding out a journal and holding it in his hands. The cover was adorned with a neat illustration. He opened the book, eyes flicking along the page as he read Karl’s neat scrawl. He picked up another few, wonder growing with the second. These stories – they held host to so many fantastical events. Karl had an incredible imagination and certainly a way with words.

Sapnap recalled sitting on the edge of a cliff with Karl, legs hanging off of the edge as they watched the sun set together. A campfire Karl had started crackled in the background, spitting gentle flames as Karl hummed and told stories that Sapnap could never even imagine up, fiddling and braiding his hair all the while. It was that serenity that he loved. That peace.

But now he had so many questions. Now that he was scanning each page with an intense focus, the hunger to know more only grew with each word he read. Sapnap pulled a book out, opening the cover and reading through the pages. His heart dropped as he read the last page of words, eyebrows furrowing in disbelief.

“Don’t forget who you are."

Confusion filled his body, heart picking up pace as the book clattered to the ground. He scrambled to take another one out, flicking through the journal, reading Karl’s words of honesty. His fingers traced each character, eyes blinking closed as he tried to put himself in Karl’s shoes. He could not comprehend it.

The more he read, the more he felt like he did not really know Karl at all.

_Who even was he?_

_What did these words mean?_

The door creaked open.

Sapnap heard the scrape of a sword against its sheath as it was drawn.

“What are you doing?”

He could recognise that voice from anywhere. It was Karl. But not the typical, witty, and jovial Karl. He was serious. _He was serious._ And he was angry.

“Karl?”

Sapnap swallowed, turning on his heels to face the door.

“Sapnap. Put the book down.” Karl hissed through gritted teeth. Sapnap could see Karl’s hands shaking slightly as he raised his sword and pointed it at Sapnap’s face, pacing forward slowly, “Now.”

“Karl, I-”

Karl took another step forward, eyebrows furrowing, “I said now.”

Sapnap stepped backwards and slotted the book back into the bookcase, raising his arms in a display of his innocence, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, Sapnap, but you know what this place means to me.” Karl sheathed his sword, rubbing his forehead with his arm, “I am just doing this to keep you safe. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Sapnap nodded as if he understood. He did not. Not a single word. Karl was destroying himself by keeping it secret, by keeping all of this from the world. He was forgetting himself. And Sapnap. And George. And Quackity. Everyone.

Karl exhaled in relief and stepped forward. He held his arms out in an invitation for an embrace, his colourful hoodie hanging loosely off of his body. Sapnap accepted, wrapping his arms around Karl, blinking his eyes closed. Karl gave some of the greatest hugs.

“How much did you see?” Karl muttered, staring at the bookcase as he examined each book from a distance, checking each one was in order. For the most part, yes. He would just have to adjust one or two later.

“Nothing really.” _Liar,_ Sapnap’s mind screamed, “You don’t need to worry.”

“Nothing really?” Karl whispered nervously, his body tensing up, “What did you see?”

“Just a story about a masquerade or something.” _Liar,_ his mind screamed, “Not much.”

“Sapnap, I need you to promise me something.”

“Hm?”

“You won’t tell anyone about what you saw. Not a soul. You will take the contents of this library to the goddamn grave.”

Sapnap hummed in agreement, pulling out of the hug. He hated the way Karl was when he was serious. It was terrifying.

“I promise.”


	2. 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo!! I have finished the next chapter!!  
> I have decided, unlike my other works, that I am gonna try make this multiple chapters. I have the story planned out and I am really excited to work on it jajaja just gotta hope I actually finish it  
> All this is just for fun, so don't expect much lol  
> Ty if you do read it :))
> 
> This chapter is a time skip from the previous one - many of the chapters will be like this unless it continues directly on or I specify otherwise

Karl’s eyes fluttered open, the mellow sun inviting him to climb out of bed and prepare for the day. He exhaled, throwing the covers off of his body and swinging his legs out of bed, subconsciously listening out for Sapnap. It was unlike Sapnap to be out and about this early on the weekend – each weekday, he would drag himself out of their home to train or proceed with chores just as the sun began to rise. However, Karl was not too worried, though that lingering fear of what may have gone wrong remained restless inside of his mind. Lifting his eyes from his feet to the wall, Karl furrowed his eyebrows as he reached for his scabbard and noticed his sword was missing from its usual place. He sighed, rubbing his sunken eyes clear of sleep, and throwing on his everyday outfit. That faded hoodie and a pair of jeans.

He remembered Sapnap teasing him for wearing the same outfit every single day of the week. A couple months ago Sapnap had gifted him a trench coat to wear, but Karl had never worn it more than three times. He could not look at it the same after the destruction of L’Manburg. Though he was never a part of that nation, seeing its former leader crumble to corruption and fall prey to the relentless hands of insanity affected everyone. Karl remembered feeling the sorrow in the air as everything and everyone closed up, remaining silent and holding vigil for what once was a sanctuary. Karl remembered watching the flames, eyes watering as the fires burned and explosions wrecked the land. And he remembered raising his hand to his forehead, and with a melancholic breath, saluting.

Eret was right. it was never meant to be.

His fingers hovered over that very same trench coat now, hands tremoring as he pondered wearing it again. It was collecting dust in his wardrobe, the dark colours a direct juxtaposition to the bright and saturated hoodies beside it, worn and loved. Karl retracted his arm with a sigh. Maybe some other day.

He left his bedroom, adjusting the goggles on his head as he entered the kitchen. There was Sapnap, absentmindedly humming to himself, batter-coated wooden spoon in one hand and a bowl in the other. He could not help but smile at the sight, his bright eyes crinkling into a gentle squint.

“Morning,” Sapnap greeted absently, “How are you?”

“No coffee today?” Karl asked jokingly, pulling a barstool away from the counter and taking a seat.

Sapnap shrugged, “I’m not usually up this early, you know this. I didn’t think you’d be up so soon.”

Karl turned the kettle on, watching attentively as the water bubbled up. The kettle hissed. He grabbed the kettle and poured the water into a mug, making himself a cup of coffee. He took a sip, before squeezing his eyes shut and grimacing.

“You alright?” Sapnap asked, placing the bowl onto the counter with a thud, “Your face is weird.”

“Shut up.” Karl placed the mug back down on the table, fiddling and twisting it about, “It’s just not the same as yours. No-one makes coffee like you, I guess.”

Sapnap hummed, returning to his work with a smug reply.

Karl stared into the liquid in his coffee mug, peering over the brim as he examined his face. A small scratch-like scar adorned his jaw. It dragged down from his ear before it trailed off by the chin. A tentative hand reached up and touched it, tracing it with a gentle wince. It was not a deep scar, rather one reminiscent to that of a cat scratch. Now that he had noticed it, a gentle pain began to haunt him. 

“Hey, did you uh…” Karl’s voice trailed off, eyes lifting from his mug to Sapnap, “notice this?”

“That cut?” Sapnap’s voice faltered, dragging off into a gentle breath, “You do all the medical stuff. Not me.”

Karl sighed in frustration. Sapnap was avoiding the question, his arm trembling as he poured the batter into a baking tray, humming nervously to himself. He would not ask anymore. If he did, he knew Sapnap would only become more frustrated – there was, ultimately, no point.

“Any plans for today?” asked Karl, watching intently as Sapnap slid the tray into the oven, slamming the door shut before panicking and checking the contents of the oven had not been damaged in any way. With a sigh of relief, Sapnap stood himself up and shook his head, turning towards the sink to wash his hands.

“I may be seeing Dream today.” Sapnap admitted, slipping his apron over his head and hooking it onto the wooden pegs on the wall.

“Dream? Why?”

“He was my best friend, you know,” came the reply, a soft sigh with hints of melancholy dusted between his sentences, “I just want answers.”

“Answers?”

“Yeah. I asked Tommy about it once. What he thinks. And he basically just… confirmed it. He doesn’t, uh… care about me. I can see it, as well. He looks at me weird. Ever since new nations began to spring up, he just became more… reserved and… bitter.” Sapnap chose his words carefully, stumbling over them and taking great pauses, “You were never that close to Dream, I guess. Wouldn’t get it.”

“You could talk to George?” Karl suggested, fiddling with his hands.

“Nah. Dream liked George, more than me. There was a preference. I could feel it. I was like… the second choice. Whatever, it doesn’t bother me anymore. The guy’s in prison. He did so much wrong, you know? I just can’t help but wonder if I…” his voice trailed off, eyes dropping from Karl’s to his hands.

“You don’t need him.” Karl muttered, shaking his head, “You’re more than he could ever be. You don’t need his attention.”

Sapnap chuckled, rubbing his eyes with an exasperated sigh. It was clear from that awkward laugh he did not believe a word that had come out of Karl’s mouth. He fiddled with his hoodie strings, trying to come up with something to add.

“Hey, look – whatever you need to do.”

“You’re right. I’ll go see George… ask him if he wants to come with me.”

Karl extended his arms, offering a hug to the other. He watched as Sapnap paced over to him and accepted, holding him in his arms. But something felt off.

This talk of Dream had really upset him. Sapnap looked ill. 

“You feel cold, are you… alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just…”

Karl pulled out of the embrace and pulled his hoodie over his head, passing it to Sapnap with a gentle smile. Sapnap slipped into the hoodie, a nervous breath escaping his lips. Karl did not necessarily like the plain, white shirt he had on now, but he had multiple hoodies. Giving one away was not that big of a deal.

“Thanks.”

“It’s nothing, really.”

Sapnap heard the oven beep. His eyes lit up as he skidded over to it, grabbing a random tea towel, and pulling the oven door open in one swift move, sliding out the tray with the tea towel in hand. He removed the cake from its container, and cut it into multiple slices, setting one aside for Karl and wrapping the others with cloth. These he slid into his messenger bag. He swung the bag over his shoulder and exited the house, waving Karl an energised goodbye.

Karl exhaled and began to clean up the mess Sapnap had made. He watched through the window as Sapnap disappeared down the path, sun illuminating his figure. He could hear the birds tweeting through the glass. Pulling the window open, he stuck out his head and shouted his goodbyes, watching as Sapnap turned on his heels and reciprocated the act, before continuing on the gravelly path.

Today was going to be a good day.


End file.
